On the very first play of the game on the opening kickoff return, Henderson ran for an electric, 100-yard return to the house to take an early 7-0 lead in the contest, greeted by a booming Gilette Stadium watching it unfold.
Henderson had to evade a good bit of traffic once crossing the 20-yard line, but once getting past the bulk of the chaos and beating Washington corner Noah Igbinoghene, as well as the lone line of defense remaining, kicker Matt Gay, he went untouched en route to a major highlight play for the first touch of his NFL career.
A source told Patriots On SI that New England had practiced that exact special-teams coverage in camp earlier in the week. Clearly, that coverage went about as good as one could expect, with Henderson capitalizing early in a massive way, and a stellar start to the year for special teams coordinator Jeremy Springer.
The Patriots selected the Ohio State product with the 38th pick in this year’s draft, and since he’s been in the building, the consensus surrounding Henderson in Patriots camp has been nothing short of positive.
Even without stepping foot on the field for a regular season game, Henderson’s been frequently mentioned as a special talent and someone offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels has been targeting as a receiving threat in the offense. However, it’s clear the Ohio State product can also make his impact felt on the special teams side of things, too, as shown within the very first play of his tenure in Foxboro, and now likely earning his way to a few early fans in the process.
Jun 9, 2025; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson (32) walks to the practice fields at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images / Eric Canha-Imagn Images
It might just be preseason, but for a 100-yard touchdown return right out of the gates, it’s about as big a statement one could make in an exhibition contest, and perhaps a sign of good things to come not just for Henderson, but for the Patriots as a whole heading into next season.
